Overview
What are business rates?
Business rates are charged on most buildings or structures which are not residential dwellings. The Council will send a bill to everyone who pays business rates before the start of each financial year. This bill will show the net amount due after any reductions have been applied.
The Council calculates your business rates bill for a property by multiplying the rateable value of the property by the appropriate non-domestic multiplier. The rating multiplier is set annually by central government. The multiplier is normally uprated by CPI inflation each year unless government decides to freeze or underrate a multiplier.
The 2026/27 multiplier rates are:
| Multiplier / business type | RV Range | 2026-27 Multiplier value |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business / Retail | £0 - £50,999 | 38.2p |
| Standard Business / Retail | £51,000 - £499,999 | 43.0p |
| Small Business / Non-Retail | £0 - £50,999 | 43.2p |
| Standard Business / Non-Retail | £51,000 - £499,999 | 48.0p |
| High Value (RV) Business | £500,000 + | 50.8p |
For information on previous years Multipliers, please visit https://www.gov.uk/calculate-your-business-rates
Transitional Supplement
A 1p transitional supplement will be payable by all business ratepayers not in receipt of transitional relief. This has been introduced for the 2026/27 financial year only. Its intention is to help fund the transitional relief scheme (businesses facing a large increase following the 2026 Revaluation).
The supplement will still be shown on the bill for any ratepayers in receipt of transition relief, but this will be offset by the overall relief scheme.
With gov.uk, you can find further information on how business rates are calculated.
The Council maintains a list of all the businesses within its boundaries that are liable for business rates. This list shows the address, description and rateable value of the business. It does not include sole traders or partnerships.
You can download this list an Excel file (it is not exhaustive and if your property does not appear on it, you may still be liable for business rates).
List of businesses - January 2025
If the property is empty, it could still be liable for unoccupied property rates, and the person who holds the legal title for the property is responsible for paying the bill.
To create and manage an account with the council, use the button below:
The gov.uk website also provides more details on business rates.